Tuesday, February 02, 2016

Driving in Malaysia : Can't do this anymore

Yes we are back to Malaysia for the coming Chinese New Year celebrations.
I haven't been driving in Malaysia for a while, since hubby knows how to drive like Malaysians now.
I told myself that I should take up the courage again, so that I could go anywhere whenever I want, but I just can't do this anymore.

There are too many cars on the roads. We passed through a roundabout with heavy traffics and I don't think I would ever be able to cross. Cars and motocycles drove at extremely high speed, when there are two lanes, you will have three lanes of car queuing. Photo shows a blue car joining the roundabout through the right lane (in Malaysia we drive on the left lane).

Heavy traffics everywhere especially when we are approaching Chinese New Year.

Here are what really scare me:
1. Pedestriens crossing everywhere, as sometimes they have no choice, there is definitely lack of zebra zones for them
2. Motocyclists sneaking through wherever they can, you have to pay extra attention for what is around you.
3. When I drive in Nantes, there is always several seconds for me to join the main roads as cars waiting for lights to turn green. But here, there is no time, seconds before the light turns green, the motocyclists already waiting at the front would just pass through. As soon as the light turns green, the remaining who did not cross on red light would drive at high speed. So there is really no time to merge!
4. Whenever there is enough space, cars form an extra lane no matter how many lanes are meant for. In the roundabouts, sometimes there are simply no lanes, I won't have know which lane to merge into.

I guess this is part of reverse culture shock! I drove in Malaysia since I was 17 until I went overseas, and I didn't notice all these. French peopld o respect the traffic rules after all!